Earlier today, Ryan Mueller was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a retired police officer. The sentencing took place in Central Islip before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. In addition to the prison term, Mueller was ordered to forfeit $49,394 and two firearms. He had previously pleaded guilty in December 2024.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. for the Eastern District of New York and DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A Tarentino III announced the sentencing.
“Mueller operated a massive and deadly fentanyl scheme. He built vending-machine-sized pill presses, possessed kilos of fentanyl and millions of fake and deadly pharmaceutical pills, and sold the fentanyl that led to the tragic loss of life of a retired police officer,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Although no punishment can make up for a life lost, today’s sentence sends the message that our Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to stop unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison.”
Nocella also thanked the Nassau County Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations in New York for their assistance with the case.
“Ryan Mueller’s decision to make and distribute fentanyl laced counterpart pills resulted in the death of an unsuspecting user who thought he was taking a legitimate pharmaceutical pill. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers that counterfeit pills have on our communities,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “In February of 2025, the DEA and law enforcement partners seized approximately 3.4 million counterfeit pills from Mueller, making it one of the largest pill seizures in the New York Division’s history. Many of the pills seized and tested in our laboratory contained lethal doses of fentanyl. This wasn’t just a normal investigation; it was a life-saving operation. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to target those poisoning our communities and hold them accountable. While today’s sentencing is a small victory, the harm it has caused this family will be long lasting.”
According to court documents, Mueller conspired over several years with others to sell various controlled substances such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and oxycodone. The investigation found that Mueller supplied fentanyl pressed into pills designed to look like oxycodone; these were linked to an overdose death on Long Island in December 2022 involving a retired police officer.
Authorities recovered multiple kilos of fentanyl at Mueller's residence as well as equipment used for manufacturing counterfeit pills from his storage facility—including pill press parts, powder dryers, blenders, and grinders.
In February 2025, authorities seized about 3.4 million fake pharmaceutical pills from Mueller’s operation—one of the largest such seizures ever by DEA’s New York Division—which included fake oxycodone containing fentanyl, fake Xanax pills, over 300,000 Quaalude pills, and around 600 grams of brick-form fentanyl.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that roughly 80,391 people died from drug overdoses nationwide in 2024—making overdose deaths one of America’s leading causes of injury-related fatalities—with synthetic opioids like fentanyl responsible for about 48,422 deaths that year. The number marked a decrease compared to previous years: overall drug overdose deaths dropped by approximately 27% between 2023 (about 108,000 deaths) and 2024.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky from the Criminal Section of the Long Island Division with support from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson.
Ryan Mueller is 33 years old and resides in Lynbrook, New York.
